Robin Van Persie, match fixing and icecreams « Untold Arsenal: Arsenal News. Supporting the Lord Wenger; coach of the decade

Arsène Wenger has said publicly that there’s no chance of Robin van Persie going to Juventus.

The reasons given by Mr Wenger are interesting.  It is said that Juve have sent  Pavel Nedved to talk to Robin – although it may be that the prime reason for his contacting various clubs is to discuss the transfer of Liverpool’s Luis Suarez and Borussia Dortmund’s Robert Lewandowski.

But leaving that aside Mr Wenger told the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, “He will stay at Arsenal.  There is no reason why a top player, a big champion would want a move to Serie A – in terms of the prestige of the league, the level of play or financial considerations.

“If he moves there, I will buy you a caramello.”

So, let’s consider the point that a top player would not go to Italy.

Certainly Italian football has fallen way down the pecking order in recent years.  It does not have the allure it used to have, and now seems to have no way back as a league – at least for four or five years.

There has long been the notion that it is a defensive league, and it has a press even more awful than the English press.  (Remember that Bergkamp was tormented in Italy, with bad misses after each game being headlined in the press as “Bergkamp of the week”.)

But probably the referee scandals that have re-surfaced big time have not helped at all.  The fact that Patrick Vieira played in Italy and thought he had won two league trophies only to find them removed because matches he played in were fixed, can’t have impressed anyone.  That is not why a footballer goes from country to country.

What’s more the action of Juve in recently repudiating the fact that they had been found guilty and had had their trophies removed almost certainly failed to impress.  It may have pleased their supporters but didn’t really do much to suggest that they were not going to continue with their view that no one can touch them.

The thought of moving to Barcelona also brings with it some difficulties not least because of the experience of Henry, who went there are was played in a new position – and only got a limited number of games.  Later he saw his erstwhile team mates in Spain suffer the ignominy of not being paid on time while the club banned the use of colour photocopies to try and save cash.

Further the financial problems in Spain mean that it is more than likely that transfer loans will be less forthcoming from the banks, and the low tax rates will soon be removed.  Real Madrid have not shown signs of backtracking yet, but they might just do so.

On the positive side, Van Persie will have been part of the way in which Mr Wenger rallied the Arsenal troops after the poor first match against Milan this past season, and he will have seen exactly what is possible with the team that Mr Wenger has built.  And indeed is now extending.

Mr Wenger recently said, “What was interesting this season was the mental quality, it was one of the best I’ve seen. Secondly the team has grown in quality during the season and the results in the second half have been much stronger. Overall, the exceptional season of Robin van Persie kept us above water. Scoring more than 30 goals is something exceptional.

“On a daily basis it was a very enjoyable season. Even in the dark times as there is no worse situation than when you feel the players are not focused and not united or on board. I always felt during the season the team was united and ready to fight. So on a daily basis that is what you enjoy the most.”

That will surely have had an impact on the players as they reflect on their own futures.

By finishing third Arsenal achieved their 15th consecutive season in the European Champions competition – something that all other teams (except Real Madrid and Man U) can only dream of.  Indeed Flamini, who walked away from Arsenal some years back found this out to his cost when he left for Milan, only to find that they had not got into the Champs League, while of course Arsenal had.  Cesc didn’t suffer the same fate – but he did go to a club that came second in a two horse race, which can’t have been much fun.

“I’m very proud of this season,” Wenger said. “We were tested not just on the pitch but off, for our unity and solidity in the club. We didn’t show weakness and we stayed united. It’s a good lesson for everyone.

“If you look at the season as a whole we only lost two in the last 16 games, we had a fantastic run and finished with a respectable 70 points and qualified for the 15th year in a row for the Champions League and we are proud of that.”

At the end of the season Robin stayed on the pitch and walked across to the fans.  Of that Mr Wenger said,  “You can make of that what you want. If he didn’t celebrate, you would say he’s already gone. If he does, you can say he’s saying goodbye. I would see it as a positive.”

So we all hope Robin will stay – but if he is minded to go, the choice is suddenly limited.  Join a club with proven financial problems?  Join a club whose bank is in dire straits?  Join a club that has been found guilty of match fixing the past, in a league that is being torn apart by a new scandal?

But what about staying in England?  Van Persie senior said no to that one.

The options are looking limited.

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